Astronomy has entered an exciting new era where ground- and space-based observatories open windows on planetary systems increasingly similar to our own. I will discuss observational techniques, direct imaging and planetary transits, that allow us to characterize the atmospheres of extrasolar planets and, in the near future, to search for biosignatures. I will show results from a new observing technique, rotational phase mapping, that provides an exciting look into the atmospheres, clouds, and surface features of exoplanets and ultracool brown dwarfs. Finally, I will discuss possible pathways toward characterizing habitable planets and searching for biosignatures in their atmospheres.
A Talk With Jim Green
What Can Extant Genomes Reveal About Early DNA Metabolism?
What We Talk About When We Talk About Earth's Oxygenation
Bowling With Astrobiologists: A Twisted Path Toward the Origin of DNA
NAI
